For any history lover, the release of a new biography of a great character from our past is always a celebration. Readers keen on the history of New France will be served these days, with the release of a new biography of nearly 800 pages of the explorer Samuel de Champlain.
I spoke with the author, Éric Thierry, who made new discoveries in the archives which allow him to offer a new portrait of the famous cartographer. The historian, specialist in Champlain, was kind enough to talk to us about his work and in passing he depicts certain traits of this larger-than-life historical character.
Painting by Charles William Jefferys (Public domain)
Montreal Journal: What makes Champlain an important character in our history?
Éric Thierry: Champlain was the founder of Quebec in 1608. From 1603 to 1616, he also explored Acadia, New England, the St. Lawrence Valley and Ontario. Finally, from 1608 to 1635, he defended the very young colony of Quebec and worked to oust the English from the St. Lawrence valley. Champlain fully deserves the title of “Father of New France” which was awarded to him by the historian Charlevoix in 1744.
JDM: Why a new biography on him?
ET: The American David Hackett Fischer published a biography of Champlain in 2008 which was very successful, but the discovery of documents in French archives allows me to publish another, very updated one.
JDM: Concerning these new unpublished sources to which you had access, where were they hiding and what new do they tell us about Champlain?
ET: I made discoveries among the manuscripts preserved at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, in Paris, and in the archives of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I also used documents preserved in the Departmental Archives in the west of France and in the National Archives in Paris, which had already been located, but which had been poorly used.
These sources shed new light on many aspects of Champlain’s life and work, such as his training as an observer and cartographer acquired in the quarters service of the army of King Henry IV in Brittany, which was a real information service. They also tell us about the preparation for his first trip to the St. Lawrence valley, in 1603; on his role in the founding of New York in 1624 and his disgrace after the capture of Quebec by the Kirkes in 1629.
JDM: In your opinion, what is the most significant event in his life?
ET: He made several attempts to establish a general peace among all the First Nations of Northeast America. He did not create New France through weapons, but through the maps he drew and the alliances he concluded with numerous indigenous leaders. He was always very respectful and even if he had the objective of converting the Aboriginal people to Catholicism, he wanted to do it heart to heart, by making them live together with the French. He was never a racist and segregationist colonizer. It is very important to remember this.
JDM: What adjective best describes the person he was?
ET: Champlain was perseverant. He crossed the Atlantic many times to defend the cause of the colony of Quebec and never spared his efforts, even if it meant endangering his health. Another adjective describes him well: he was faithful throughout his life! Loyal to the King of France and faithful to his religious beliefs. These explain his humanism.
JDM: Champlain remains a character whose certain aspects are still unknown to us. What mysteries of Champlain’s life still remain to be elucidated?
ET: We don’t know the features of his face. No authentic portrait exists. All those that circulate are born from the imagination of their author. We also do not know the exact location of the chapel where his body was buried. Are Champlain’s bones still in place? We could reconstruct his face from his skull. I also hope that one day we will be able to find new manuscripts by Champlain. Some may still be somewhere in France. I still hope to make new discoveries, but I know it will be very difficult.
(North)
